Egypt's military officers removed the country's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, on Wednesday, suspended the Constitution and installed an interim government presided over by a senior jurist.

CAIRO — Egypt’s military officers removed the country’s first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, on Wednesday, suspended the Constitution and installed an interim government presided over by a senior jurist.

Tahrir Square, where tens of thousands of opponents of the government had gathered each night since Sunday to demand Mr. Morsi’s removal, erupted in fireworks and jubilation at news of the ouster. At a square near the presidential palace where Mr. Morsi’s Islamist supporters had gathered, men broke into tears and vowed to stay until he was reinstated or they were forcibly removed. “The dogs have done it and made a coup against us,” they chanted. “Dying for the sake of God is more sublime than anything,” a speaker declared.

Mr. Morsi rejected the generals’ actions as a “complete military coup.”

Military vehicles and soldiers in riot gear had surrounded the rally in the hours before the takeover, and tensions escalated through the night. Within hours, at least seven people had died and more than 300 were injured in clashes in 17 provinces between Mr. Morsi’s supporters and either civilian opponents or security forces.

By the end of the night, Mr. Morsi was in military custody and blocked from all communications, one of his advisers said, and many of his senior aides were under house arrest. Egyptian security forces had arrested at least 38 senior leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, including Saad el-Katatni, the chief of the group’s political party, and others were being rounded up as well, security officials said. No immediate reasons were given for the detentions.

For Mr. Morsi, it was a bitter and ignominious end to a tumultuous year of bruising political battles that ultimately alienated millions of Egyptians. Having won a narrow victory, his critics say, he broke his promises of an inclusive government and repeatedly demonized his opposition as traitors. With the economy crumbling, and with shortages of electricity and fuel, anger at the government mounted.

The generals built their case for intervention in a carefully orchestrated series of maneuvers, calling their actions an effort at a “national reconciliation” and refusing to call their takeover a coup. At a televised news conference late on Wednesday night, Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi said that the military had no interest in politics and was ousting Mr. Morsi because he had failed to fulfill “the hope for a national consensus.”

The general stood on a broad stage, flanked by Egypt’s top Muslim and Christian clerics as well as a spectrum of political leaders including Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel Prize-winning diplomat and liberal icon, and Galal Morra, a prominent Islamist ultraconservative, or Salafi, all of whom endorsed the takeover.

Despite their protestations, the move plunged the generals back to the center of political power for the second time in less than three years, following their ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Their return threatened to cast a long shadow over future efforts to fulfill that revolution’s promise of a credible, civilian democracy. But General Sisi sought to present a very different image from the anonymous, numbered communiqués from the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces that were solemnly read over state television to announce Mr. Mubarak’s exit, and the general emphasized that the military had no desire to rule.

“The armed forces was the one to first announce that it is out of politics,” General Sisi said at the start. “It still is, and it will remain away from politics.”

Under a “road map” for a post-Morsi government devised by a meeting of civilian, political and religious leaders, the general said, the Constitution would be suspended, the chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adli Mansour, would become acting president, and plans would be expedited for new parliamentary and presidential elections under an interim government.
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Reporting was contributed by Kareem Fahim, Mayy El Sheikh and Ben Hubbard from Cairo; Mark Landler from Washington; Alan Cowell from London; and Mona El-Naggar from New York.

When major events like the one in Egypt occur we must take time and learn all we can. As Americans celebrate the symbolic day of freedom and Independence we must look to Egypt with a sense of pride that the concepts that give birth to the United States are sill alive and burning brightly in hearts around the world.

To my dear friend Abdessalam, thank you for all you have offered to keep us informed, while you took your place in the protest at Tahrir Square. Thank you for being the Care2 reporter, even while you and your country struggle for the most basic of human rights.

Thursday July 4, 2013, 2:59 pm
Thank you Kit. The happenings are so fast and breathtaking I find it hard to find words.. Looks like the fight has just begun, we'll see what will happen on "Friday of rejection" when the Brotherhood and supporters in their rage take to the streets again. Despite the heavy army security I'm afraid of more blood shed as they will not give up.

Thursday July 4, 2013, 4:12 pm
Thanks, Kit. As I understand it, the people were disappointed immediately after Morsi took office...he broke the campaign promises he made. So, then the people spoke and the military has removed him. Oh, that we here in the U.S. had such a "democracy!'

Friday July 5, 2013, 1:40 am
"You cannot govern with the consent of the governed" Thomas Jefferson. Until the US is willing to deny our corrupt government that is controlled by lobbyist and corporations we are giving our permission to be governed whether we realize it or not. Politicians govern secretly and try to hide how dominant their control really is. T The people must take back their government from billion and trillion dollar companies. We must throw the money changers out of government to stop their continued absolute control. Thank You Kit, Noted

Friday July 5, 2013, 8:55 am
Yesterday I received an email from Avaz.org asking me to sign a petition asking Morsy to meet the demands of the Egyptian people and asking Egypt's Military not to interfere in politics and take over the power through a military coup. That petition,was apparently sent few days ago but I read it only yesterday as I was really busy sharing around 33 million Egyptians their protest against Morsy.
The following is the message I have sent yesterday night to Avaz.

" This petition doesn't reflect the real situation in Egypt at all .Yes Morsi and his government didn't listen to the people and didn't meet their demands. On the contrary supporters of Morsi in MBH and FJP together with all former terrorists escalated a political peaceful dispute to make it a violent one by attacking peaceful protestors in several parts of Nile delta and upper Egypt. The protestors are asking Morsi to call for an early presidential elections because of his failure to achieve any progress in Egypt due to the fact that he and his group have no vision and are not qualified enough to rule the country and solve people's daily problems. Morsi and his group and supporters who call themselves Islamists want to change Egypt's identity as a moderate Islamic country . The early elections is a democratic way to show if Morsi is still supported by Egyptians or not as he has the right to run for Presidency if he likes. Morsi and his group refused this democratic demand which had been signed by more than 22 million voters but Morsi refuses and denies his people's rights. This is a threat to the national security of Egypt. He has insisted to refused all calls to sit with the opposition and find a solution. The Egyptian military ,feeling the responsibility and dangers Egypt could face, gave all parties one week to settle their differences and reach an agreement but Morsi and his group insisted to refuse any positive proposal. Thus the military upon a request of over 30 million Egyptians who rallied against Morsi was obliged to meet the demands of those millions.The chief judge of the constitutional court was sworn in as suggested by the protestors not by the military. He ,in his capacity as interim president, will rule the country,arrange for Parliamentary election,draft amendments on the constitution as Egyptians want and will be passed through a referendum. Then a new president will be elected in a democratic way.

Talking about a military coup is not correct at all and should stop immediately as it hurts Egyptians.As an Egyptian AVAZ member, I am asking you to delete the petition and close it immediately

Friday July 5, 2013, 1:16 pm
I wish other countries' militaries would do the same when they have a terrible leader. The people support this. The military want to transfer it back to civil rule. Hope that it happens that way.

Friday July 5, 2013, 2:34 pm
Our sympathy goes out to all those Egyptians who have lost family members and have suffered in this time of change. We pray that they will soon be returned to a genuine democratic and truly independent government that will lead them to a prosperous and united country.

Friday July 5, 2013, 4:15 pm
i hope the people of egypt get what they want. we need to stay out of it and not take sides. to bad obama has already taken sides. if he wants to take sides he needs to say it's his personal opinion and not our country taking sides.

Saturday July 6, 2013, 4:35 am
Democratically elected or democratic government. Democratic isn't about right or wrong, but about the will of majority, which is always right, nor always good. Personally, I prefer for the government to have limitations.